This mini-RGB TV upgraded my movie night without breaking the bank

Amanda Kondolojy is the managing editor for all things entertainment and streaming at Pocket-lint. She is based in central Florida and is a film fanatic, binge TV enthusiast and video game junkie. She is proud to have covered the entertainment industry as a writer and editor for a number of outlets in the past, including the Orlando Sentinel, Tom's Guide, TV by the Numbers, and more. She holds dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Communication and Government from George Mason University. Want to reach out? Contact Amanda.K -at- valnetinc -dot- com

Though RGB mini-LED technology has been around for a while now, it has been cost-prohibitive for the vast majority of new TV purchasers. However, earlier this year Hisense introduced one of the first (relatively) affordable RGB mini-LED TVs with the UR8, which is available in a variety of sizes for under $2000.

For the uninitiated, what makes RGB mini-LED technology so exciting is that, instead of using purely white LED backlight, these specialty sets use red, blue and green LED backlights, resulting in bolder colors, higher brightness and better overall picture quality than what viewers would find in a standard mini-LED. While this upgrade might be imperceptible for those who mainly watch streaming content via YouTube or the standard Netflix, those with a substantial collection of 4K streaming or physical media are bound to notice the difference as RGB mini-LED technology produces richer colors and more vivid highlights than you would on a traditional mini-LED. Though I don't watch a lot of sports myself, I'm told this difference can also be noticed when watching games in 4K.

The Hisense UR8 is still pretty expensive with a starting price of $1500 for its smallest (55-inch) size, but I think the upgrade is worth the cost, particularly if you are looking to replace an older set and are mainly interested in watching 4K content in extremely high quality without going too much over-budget. Though the UR8 does make a few compromises, its low price point and outstanding performance more than make up for its few faults.

Price, availability, and specs

Plenty of high-end features at an affordable price

The UR8 is equipped with Hisense’s Hi-View AI Engine RGB processor, which is designed to help boost color performance, and includes AI Smooth Motion & Motion Rate 720 which work to reduce blur in fast-moving content like action movies or sports. The UR8 supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+, IMAX Enhanced, as well as the new Dolby Vision 2 format and has a native 180Hz refresh rate.

As for the screen itself, the Hisense UR8 comes equipped with an anti-glare Obsidian panel that minimizes glare in rooms with windows or overhead lighting. The TV is also incredibly bright, reaching up to 3,500 nits, which also helps mitigate glare.

On the back of the TV are four 2.1 HDMI ports, one of which is an HDMI eARC port, perfect for connecting a soundbar or receiver. In addition, there is also a pair of USB ports as well as the standard Ethernet, optical digital, and coaxial antenna ports. The TV comes with Google TV installed and is equipped with Gemini-enhanced AI features as well as voice control.

For gamers, this TV features VRR including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and ALLM. There’s also a dedicated Game Bar menu that lets players quickly check and adjust settings.

The Hisense U8SG Pro comes in several sizes, ranging from 55 to 100 inches, with prices starting at $1500 for the smallest 55-inch size and $2000 for the mid-size 65-inch model, going up to $6000 for the oversized 100-inch set. It is currently only available for purchase at Best Buy.

What I liked about the Hisense UR8

A movie night monster

One of the most compelling reasons to upgrade from an OLED (or QLED) TV to RGB mini-LED is to experience movies with greater contrast and picture accuracy. To test out the difference, I popped in my 4K copies of Interview with the Vampire (1994), a movie I have watched in every conceivable format (before I had it on Blu-ray I had it on DVD, and owned it on VHS even before that), as well as the newer film Project Hail Mary.

I'm happy to report that both of these movies, which feature plenty of dark scenes, benefited greatly from the UR8's striking contrast with colors in both movies looking brighter and vibrant than on any OLED screen I had previously watched them on.

Picture quality was also more precise, thanks to the TV's snappy RGB processor which makes action scenes a lot clearer, and minimizes blooming (where light from a bright spot on the screen against a dark background creates distortion). This was especially apparent in Project Hail Mary, where bright objects in space appear clearly and precisely, revealing additional detail and contrast in each frame on this set than on others I have tested recently.

Sound quality is solid in this TV with a built-in 2.1.2 multi-channel speaker system with onboard Dolby Atmos support. Aficionados may appreciate the deep sound customization settings, but I found the preset Theater sound mode to be more than adequate out of the box and didn't feel like I needed to tinker too much with the settings to get clear, room-filling sound.

Though I mostly used the UR8 for movie playback, the TV is also great for gaming. With four HDMI 2.1 ports, I was able to connect both my PS5 and Switch 2 to the set easily, and the set's dedicated game mode produces speedy frame rates with minimal lag, perfect for online play. The dedicated Game Bar feature is pretty neat for adjusting settings and seeing real-time performance, but I didn't find myself using it all that often as the TV's operating system did a great job of optimizing settings automatically.

What I didn't like about the Hisense UR8

For a premium price, light and glare is still a problem

My main gripe with the Hisense U8SG is that, for all it does to prevent glare, if you are watching in daylight, natural lighting can be a big problem. While the Obsidian panel and high brightness does mitigate the glare better than some budget sets (especially artificial light), I still had a lot of natural light issues during the day coming from my living room's singular window. If you primarily watch in the daytime and have a window without curtains or blinds, unfortunately, you're still probably going to see some glare with the UR8.

It is also worth noting that while this is definitely a more affordable way to experience RGB mini-LED technology, it is an expensive TV overall and is in the highest, premium tier of Hisense's current lineup. If having this technology matters to you, then this is absolutely a quality set worth investing in, but if you are simply looking to stream the new season of Fallout on Amazon Prime Video or catch up with your YouTubers you probably can get by with a cheaper QLED model that has the features you need at half the price.

Should you buy a Hisense UR8?

An easy upgrade that elevates physical media and won't blow a hole in your budget

RGB mini-LED technology has been cost-prohibitive for almost as long as it has existed, and I must say that I was excited to check out the Hisense UR8 as it is the first TV that features this technology that truly feels accessible to the everyday consumer. And while you might not notice much difference when you're streaming something on Netflix or Tubi, if you are a serious film fan with a serious 4K media collection, you'll notice the quality improvement almost instantly. Add in helpful gaming features, solid sound quality with Dolby Atmos support out of the box, and the helpful Google TV OS, and this TV is an easy recommendation for those looking to level up their movie nights.